Porcine epidemic diarrhea virus (PEDV) is a coronavirus that infects the cells lining the small intestine of a pig, causing porcine epidemic diarrhea, a condition of severe diarrhea and dehydration. It generally causes illness in older hogs, causing weight loss, but is a severe disease in newborn piglets, usually lethal within days of contracting the virus. PEDV was first discovered in Europe, but has become increasingly problematic in Asian countries, such as Korea, China, Japan, the Philippines, and Thailand. It has also spread to North America in 2013, and. (Stevenson, et al., Journal of Veterinary Diagnostic Investigation, 25(5) 649-654, 2013). PEDV has a substantial economic burden given that it is highly infectious, resulting in significant morbidity and mortality in piglets and is associated with increased vaccination and disinfection costs (Song, et al., Virus Genes, 44 (2): 167-175, 2012).
No known vaccine exists to prevent PEDV infection. Thus, there remains a significant, continuing need for an effective means to prevent or ameliorate PEDV infections.